De Blasio admits he lacks ability to ban carriages in NYC

By Christina Hansen on November 13, 2015 Controversy

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Christina Hansen

Christina Hansen is a New York City carriage driver and a spokesperson for the carriage industry. She is a proud member of Teamsters Local 553.

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Save NYC Carriage Horses From Radical Animal Rights Activists
1 month ago
MYTH: NYC carriage horses work in all kinds of weather and extreme temperatures without enough water.

FACT: NYC carriage horses work under a strict set of regulations which includes suspension of their work above 89 degrees Fahrenheit, below 19 degrees Fahrenheit, or in harsh blizzards/storms. As an extra (generally deemed unnecessary) precaution their work was even suspended during New York City’s partial solar eclipse. All year round the horses have access to two continuously flowing water troughs in Central Park. Additionally, in the warmer weather they can use the Cherry Hill fountain in the middle of their rides, which was originally put there as a water trough for horses, though few find it necessary most days. Most carriages also keep a bucket under their carriage which can be used to fill with water if their horse is spending a lot of time on the hackline between rides or working outside of the park. Carriage drivers are even allowed to open fire hydrants in circumstances where they cannot access the other troughs to give their horse water during their shift.

The NYPD Mounted Unit takes the temperature in Central Park at a specific height, with a specific thermometer to determine when a suspension will go into effect. At times your cellphone app may not give the same temperature as the one used to determine a suspension. When a suspension goes into effect, carriage drivers receive a textmessage on their phone and another when it is lifted. They are given time to finish any ride they have already started, rest their horse if necessary, and head back to the stable. Of course horses will still be outside when it’s 90 degrees because of this process, and it is no need for alarm. The horses are doing lightweight work at a walk or occasional trot compared to horses galloping over jumps in much warmer temperatures. The heat temperature restrictions in NYC also happen to be the lowest in the country while other cities safely cease operation at 92, 95, and 98 degrees Fahrenheit. There is nothing wrong with this provided the horses are getting enough rest, shade, and water. Back at the stable the horses are also often hosed off to cool down on warm days by their owners, drivers, and stablemen.

In the winter, a similar process temporarily ceasing their work goes into effect when the temperature drops below 19 degrees Fahrenheit. Horses receive a blanket while they are standing on the hackline when temperatures reach 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and a rain blanket when it is 55 degrees Fahrenheit in wet weather. While the horses can safely work in light snow and rain, if a heavy blizzard occurs, their suspension may go on for a longer period until roads are deemed safe again. The NYPD Mounted Unit and NY Health Dept that have equine veterinarians are the ones to make the call when these types of suspensions go into effect. No NYC carriage horses have had their health impacted by the weather such as collapsing from heat exhaustion since these regulations have been put into place. There would be no incentive for a driver to withhold water from their horse or continue working them during a suspension since it could lead to the horse being unable to work due to illness, fines for the violations, or loss of their license.

Photo Credits: Christina Hansen, Via www.instagram.com/nyccarriages/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Save NYC Carriage Horses From Radical Animal Rights Activists
2 months ago
MYTH: NYC horse carriage drivers don't care about horses and are just doing the job for the money.

FACT: To become a carriage driver in NYC one must have a NY (car) driver’s license, study a manual on horse healthcare and the regulations in NYC, and watch informative videos on the topic. They are given a multiple choice test, and if they pass are scheduled for a short essay question test. Upon passing the second test, they are given a verbal exam with an equine veterinarian and practical on a horse. If they are successful, they receive their learner's permit and must accumulate 80 hours of driving with an already licensed driver until that driver feels comfortable signing them off. At this point they will receive their license and enter a 6 month probationary period. If they receive no violations during this time, they will finally get their license which can be renewed every two years. It's quite a process to go through if one is not in it for the horses. Most drivers have previous experience working with horses, and some have been horsemen for thirty or forty years. Animal people with a love of horses are those that are generally drawn to industry. Drivers enjoy the partnership and bond that develops when working with a horse, and the horses show signs of enjoying being with their person. Just because you may not see every driver brushing their horse, feeding their horse a carrot, kissing their horse's nose, or giving their horse a scratch in their favorite spot it doesn’t mean they weren’t at another moment in time that day.

It's also quite costly to care for a horse, especially in NYC, between the hay brought in (as much as the horses would like in their stalls), board of stalling (wood chips or straw bedding, 24/7 stablemen paid to muck stalls/oversee stable maintenance), transportation cost of their NYC regulation mandated vacations on pastures, shoes (every 4-6 weeks), vaccines, veterinary exams (minimum of twice yearly), and anything else that may arise. A large portion of the money paid on every ride a NYC carriage horse does, goes directly towards the cost of their own care. The job requires unpaid time to ready a new horse for the city, do carriage maintenance, bathe a horse, and unpaid time off if the weather becomes extreme and business is temporarily suspended. While one can make a living from this job, it is not the type of job one seeks out if they have goals of being very wealthy. In my personal experience, I gave up the office world for half my previous salary to become a carriage driver because of my love of horses. Many drivers currently in the industry have a similar story behind their drive to drive a horse and escaped their past headaches of office life.

There is nothing wrong in partnering with an animal to earn your own income if that animal is cared for well, and especially in cases where the animal enjoys the job while seeing a financial gain in their own life as well. Without a place for domesticated draft horses in nature outside of human care, a job helps secure their health and quality of life. With so few places for horses to continue their existence in our modern world, carriage drivers help ensure these lucky horses are given a place in our society with work that is healthy for them, alongside us, even in urban envrionments. Carriage drivers know that bringing in a horse to pull a carriage in NYC means their health, safety, and quality of life will be secured, protected under numerous regulations in their best interests that other horses don't have. Further, horses don’t even understand the concept of profit or “work” the way we do. In the mind of a horse they partake in an activity they enjoy doing, that they do well, pleasing their human partner and riders, and are rewarded for it with great care and carrots. Humans entertain other humans, animals entertain other animals, humans entertain animals, and animals entertain humans. All of which can be seen as pretty natural forms of entertainment.

All of this aside, hypothetically speaking, even if somehow a driver were only in this job for the money they make, they would still have no motivation to do wrong by their horse. Even if they looked upon the horse purely as a machine, one must have a well oiled machine to do a good job. There would be no incentive not to take good care of your horse because one would risk losing their license, paying fines for violations, winding up with a horse unable to work, or have customers turn away from taking a ride from a horse that appeared to be in poor condition. They are out in public every day for all to see, so if something were wrong, it's not like it could be hidden, it would immediately be spotted. The NYPD Mounted Unit and NY Health Dept that have equine veterinarians enforce the NYC carriage horse regulations and do random checks along the hackline and in their stables looking at their health, exam reports, hours worked, and stall conditions.

Photo Credit: Christina Hansen Via www.instagram.com/nyccarriages/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Save NYC Carriage Horses From Radical Animal Rights Activists
2 months ago
MYTH: NYC carriage horses breathe in toxic fumes & live a nose to tailpipe existence.

FACT: NYC carriage horses spend most of their work day in Central Park, where regular traffic has been permanently banned as of June 27th 2018. Though, even with cars coming through the park, the horses travel beside them, or at a safe distance behind them, never with their nose near the tailpipes, the same way they do when they are traveling to and from their stables and the park, or for the few that occasionally work in Rockefeller Center (after 9:30pm) or Times Square (after 11:30pm.) This is due to the effect of “street canyons.” When the horses are not on a ride during the day, they are lined up behind other horses, not cars, on the hackline along the perimeter of the park, on Central Park South. It’s where the horses are highly visible to tourists and have stood even before Central Park was what it was when it first opened in 1857. The horses that work in NYC receive so much fresh air, they are found not to have the respiratory issues some less-ventilated stabled horses have. Equine veterinarians who have examined the NYC carriage horses have never found any respiratory issues with them, and have even remarked on their lack of respiratory issues. NYC carriage horses regulations require them to receive a minimum of two veterinary exams each year. The air quality report in NYC, especially within Central Park, is far better than some pastures in PA where horses are. In 2013 NYC’s air was reported being the cleanest it has been in fifty years, and in 2017 it was announced that NYC air pollution was at an all time low. If NYC carriage horses were in danger of air pollution, babies in strollers, dogs on leashes, people in pedicabs, bicyclists, joggers, and pedestrians would all be at the same risk. The answer to the problem wouldn't be to ban everyone from living in an urban environment, and would rather be to seek out more eco friendly solutions which could include going green with more horse drawn carriages. Two small towns in VT have switched to horse powered garbage "trucks" with success just a couple of years ago. Horses are safest and have the highest quality of life when they are given jobs and kept close to humans under a watchful eye, may that be in a rural environment or an urban one.

In Depth Article On The Topic: carriageon.com/air/

Photo Credit: Christina Hansen Via www.instagram.com/nyccarriages/ (Carriages in Central Park during an event) ... See MoreSee Less
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Save NYC Carriage Horses From Radical Animal Rights Activists
2 months ago
To The Guy Who Screamed “Animal Cruelty” Out A Car Window, Driving By Carriage Horses On The Hackline Outside Central Park: If you saw someone kicking a puppy, would this be your reaction or would you call the police? If you truly felt this way, why did you cowardly shout it from a car driving by rather than walking over for a conversation? Do you think your comment benefited any of these horses or did it just make you feel “cool” in your eyes? Did you think anyone who overheard you would have a positive reaction to your personality or believe you based on your delivery of the message? Was your message intended for the carriage drivers who devoted a large portion of their lives to caring for these horses? Did you think the drivers wouldn’t be well aware of how incorrect you are? Do you know that cruelty has a legal definition which doesn’t come near describing what can be seen in the horses you drove by? Do you think there is more “cruelty” in a horse standing in a relaxed posture, munching on some oats than there is behind the hot dog stand you drove by, the leather of your belt, your car’s impact on the environment, or the sandwich you ate earlier? You nearly had amusement in your voice when you shouted it, as if those strong accusations are just a game for you. Did you know that by equating a healthy, content horse with animals that are struggling, you’re simply belittling their struggle? You’re helping take the focus away from animals in need that could use that energy and attention.

Photo Credit: Christina Hansen Via www.instagram.com/nyccarriages/ (Driver Adrian Hugging Mickey The NYC Carriage Horse) ... See MoreSee Less
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Save NYC Carriage Horses From Radical Animal Rights Activists
2 months ago
This page has reached over 4k likes today without a single penny ever being spent on it! It was just the sharing of facts, debunked myths, and relatable anecdotal stories that did it! Thank you to all the NYC horse carriage supporters out there and let’s reach a thousand more!

Photo Credit: Jill A. (Nick, the NYC carriage horse by 5th Ave, January 2018.) ... See MoreSee Less
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